Our Pre-planning Services

What is Pre-planning?

More and more families are finding value in going through the advanced planning process for their final arrangements. Advanced planning allows for you to record vital information and keep it on file with our funeral home to ease your family from having to sort through and provide such details at the time of death. Additionally, advanced planning allows for you to plan the Celebration of Life event, venue, music, disposition choice and desired final resting place. To learn more about the value of advanced planning – please read the information we have included here within our website. You may also call us and we would will discuss the choices you have available to you over the phone or in person.

Why would i want to pre-plan?

By making the arrangement decisions yourself, you can tailor them to your own preferences. Even if you casually discuss these wishes at home amongst yourselves, it can’t cover all the choices and options that can be presented. These decisions would be better made by you with the help of your funeral professional, at a time when there is no grief or stress involved. That way, all your wishes will be honored, and without the unnecessary burden on your loved ones, trying to second guess what you might have wanted. You will also have the opportunity to determine how and when you would like your final arrangements to be handled.

Pre-funding final arrangements

When you pre-arrange, you eliminate the possibility of emotional overspending. In some cases, surviving family members can make emotional decisions in their time of bereavement, which can result in spending more on a funeral than the deceased would consider wise. There are various payment plans available to fund a funeral, and this is an important issue to discuss with your advanced planning professional.

Where does the money go?

When you pre-pay funeral expenses, the money collected will be placed into either a trust account within a local bank or preneed insurance account. We can explain the advantages of either of these choices. In many cases, we can also accept an assignment of an existing life insurance policy for future payment of the amount of the final arrangements you desire.

What happens if I change my mind or I move?

When you pre-pay your funeral expenses, those funds are able to be transferred should you decide to move away or would prefer the services of another funeral home. We will counsel you on how cancel-ability and transferring preneeded funds varies depending upon the funding vehicle you ultimately choose.

Do I have to come to the funeral home?

Our funeral home will accommodate you, whatever the need. Basic arrangements can be done at the funeral home, by phone and by mail. We can also meet at your residence. You can begin the process by using our Online Pre-Planning Form to gather the details you want to include in your arrangement plan.

Pre-Planning Checklist

Prepare

Prepare a contact list of individuals who should be notified in a medical emergency or death.

Write an obituary or jot down information you would like included in an obituary.

Decide where obituary and memorial information should appear.

Choose the type of service you would like, including the burial you prefer, and make those arrangements.

Select the speakers and the eulogies that you would want to represent you.

Decide what organizations or church will benefit from memorial donations in your name.

Arrange and Delegate

Designate a power of attorney to ensure that proper information can be accessed in the event of your illness or death. Make sure a durable power of attorney for health care and a living will are in place so that your wishes are carried out if you are unable to do so.

Give your Executor a copy of your Will. Saftey deposit boxes are often opened up during the Estate Settlement process, after the funeral.

Make sure your representative has a list of important account information or telephone numbers for retirement plans, insurance policies, investments, bank accounts, safe-deposit boxes, properties, preferred law and accountant firms and mortuaries.

Remind your personal representative that the Social Security Administration will need to be called and, if you’re receiving benefits such as those from the Veteran’s Administration, they should be contacted as well.

Make arrangements for telephone and utilities services, and newspaper and magazine deliveries, to be cancelled.